Papa Murphy’s: Great Pizza, No Matter How You Slice It

October 2018

A few facts about pizza: Americans eat some 100 acres of pizza a day, or about 350 slices per second. There are more than 61,000 pizzerias in the United States. More than five billion pizzas are sold worldwide each year. And the most important fact of all: October is National Pizza Month.

And when Ashlanders want their pizza fix, one of the first places they think of is Papa Murphy’s, at 1401 Siskiyou Boulevard. Owner Kip Irving and his team have been serving freshly made-to-order, bake-at-home pizzas to the Ashland community for more than 18 years.

“Papa Murphy’s offers thin, original, and pan crusts as well as gluten-free crusts, with your choice of sauce and toppings,” Kip said. “Everything is made fresh, including our dough, which we make daily. Our locations do not have freezers.”

All Papa Murphy’s pizzas come with easy baking instructions, so you can pop in, order your pizza with whatever crust and toppings you choose, and bake it to perfection at home.

Kip is a hands-on owner who can usually be found working behind the counter. He is proud of his work teams and their fast and friendly service. “In this business, the crew makes all the difference,” he said. “And our crews are exceptional. They are led by experienced managers and we focus on training for the best customer experience possible.”

After working in management in San Diego, Kip moved to the Rogue Valley in 2000. “I wanted an opportunity to be my own boss,” he said. “My brother Troy and sister-in-law Karen had established Papa Murphy’s in the Valley in 1992. They approached me about purchasing the Ashland location. I felt it was a natural fit; I’d been coming up for years and loved the area and the people. Our family members own locations all over the state.”

Papa Murphy’s is based out of Vancouver, Washington. It was founded in 1981 as Papa Aldo’s and joined with Murphy’s Pizza in 1995.

Besides custom-made pizzas, Papa Murphy’s is known for its cheesy bread and five-cheese scratch-made cheesy bread. There’s also their freshly made Caesar, club, veggie and mediterranean salads. And because no meal is complete without dessert, there are chocolate chip cookie dough, S’mores pizza, and cinnamon wheels you can also bake at home.

After nearly two decades of making dinnertimes easier and celebrations special, Kip never tires of keeping customers happy. “I’m still passionate about providing a quality product, with fast and friendly service at a value. I take pride in my team,” he said. “And I appreciate the community support.”